Spiral
by Mystica83
Summary: ...round and round they go... Oneshot, NejiTen collection. No. 6: Battle Scars
1. Venus in Furs

**A/N**: Set around 20 years of age for both of them (she should be a Jounin by then, I think...) 

**Venus In Furs**

"Dammit Neji, get back here!"

Sounds of an angry explosion ripped through Konoha on what would have been an unusually peaceful Sunday morning. The addition of violence to the ambient strains of noise simply made that day a little more normal.

"They're at it again," Sakura droned. Ino rolled her eyes in agreement.

"You'd think he'd learn by now," mentioned Sakura, leading the way into the dango shop.

"Oh please, at this point, he probably does it on purpose," Ino countered.

A kilometer away, Tenten whirled through the air, a perfect spiral that released ungodly amounts of steel – all aimed at her sparring partner, with whom she was considerably annoyed at the moment.

"Tenten, don't..." Neji began, interrupting himself when he saw the need to begin the Heavenly Spin, lest Tenten skewer him.

Landing on a tree, Tenten hissed at him. "You _know_ how much it bothers me when my hair is down. It gets in my eyes and takes me a whole_ minute_ to put back into place. Do you know what can happen in a minute during battle, Neji? _ Do you?_"

Another barrage of weapons. Neji was getting tired.

"You're getting stronger as a result of our current spar. If an enemy ever managed to do this to you, you'd have his head. What's the problem?" Neji asked.

"The problem," Tenten replied as she launched a spiked bomb – one that Neji barely avoided – "is that we weren't battling. We were going out for _breakfast!_"

Neji looked up, making just enough time to see Tenten mid-flight, lovely brown locks caressing her face as she turned her head to aim yet another wave of weapons at him, before he had to spin again. Fingering the ribbons he had deftly plucked off her head – loosing her roan-brown tresses – he began the Kaiten, content that he had been able to enjoy seeing his girlfriend's chocolate-colored hair let down _and_ spar with her today.

However, the morning's exertions were proving to be a bit much for the Hyuuga genius on a empty stomach, and Tenten was a Jounin now, which meant...

_THWACK!_

...that Tenten could be very lethal when irritated.

Neji cut behind a tree after Tenten had unsheathed her katana and flung it at him, landing only inches away from his head. But the sight of his beloved with her hair down would distract any man, genius or not, and too late he saw the scroll Tenten had left behind that very tree. He should have known she would never have _thrown_ a katana, unless...

She wanted him to walk into a trap.

From afar, Tenten detonated the scroll, sending close to a hundred shuriken hurtling in Neji's direction. Neji felt his heart pound in his chest, knowing full well he was about to lose the match, feeling just a slight _twinge_ of fear (in a Hyuuga? Never!), even though he knew she would not kill him (although he knew she could). Only Tenten could make him feel afraid.

Using chakra strings, Tenten controlled each and every shuriken she sent towards her boyfriend. In the blink of an eye, Neji was pinned to the tree by his clothes, angry points of steel biting into his skin, some drawing blood, all feeling very uncomfortable. Neji sighed, defeated, as Tenten walked up to him.

"I'll be taking these back," she said, reaching for the two maroon ribbons he had stashed in his pocket. Neji breathed deeply as she did so, enjoying the close-up of Tenten with her hair down, getting drunk on the lovely smell of honey-scented shampoo she used to wash her hair every day. She came up slowly, knowing full well her effect on him, letting him enjoy himself, even from his captive position. She brushed her lips past his and let him bury his nose in the strands of her hair that hung in front of his face as she pressed her cheek up to his face and whispered in his ear.

"Stop making me beat you," she growled.

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Neji was blowing out the lamps in their apartment, getting ready to go to sleep, when he noticed the two maroon ribbons sitting helplessly on the counter. Taking the ribbons and a pair of scissors, he sat down to destroy them. He had just finished cutting up the second one when Tenten walked out of the shower, wearing nothing but a towel. Neji looked up, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Tenten's eyes widened in indignation, then narrowed in anger. Neji could see the rage that was building up inside her, like a fountain ready to burst. He smiled.

"Punish me, Tenten."

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FIN

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**Author's Note**: You like? You not like? Let me know! Thanks to Cyberwolf for the plot-bunny muse (via the fanfic "Through Jealousy").


	2. Veritas

**A/N**: Set during Shippuuden/Part Two (I write a lot of these, don't I...)

Update: Thanks to Whispered Lies for the review. I hope it's easier to read now!

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**Veritas**

Out of all the ninja in Konoha, Neji is the most truthful.

Never mind that everyone assumes that he has some secret lurking behind that stoic countenance. Those are just rumors perpetuated by love-struck fangirls who like to think that there is some mysterious passage into his heart, and believe a completely different white-eyed prodigy waits for the girl who can crack the "Neji Mask" he supposedly hides behind. One who coincidentally fits their criteria for the Perfect Man: sensitive and romantic, amongst other things.

How foolish of them. After all, if he really had secrets to conceal, he would have never told the story of his past to the world during the fateful Chunnin exam in which he fought Naruto and lost. Neji is the way he is because he chooses to be. There is no gimmick to the silent, sombre attitude. If he does not rain tears (like some other shinobi in the village) when something disappoints him, it is simply because he does not see the need to. It is not a question of being an unfeeling, uncaring person. If he was truly apathetic, he would not care about becoming stronger in his father's memory, he would not worry about his village or his teammates, he would not feel proud of himself. He does. He simply does not believe in wasting energy in overt expression.

Which is why Tenten likes him so much. She need not worry about receiving false testimony from him, or gestures belying emotions. She can be straight with him and know that she will always receive the same truthfulness in return. If she tells him that he is acting like a jerk, she knows he will tell her that his behavior is his own to do with what he will. But since it is _her, _he will go out of his way to lighten up. She can ask him questions about anything – fighting styles, people, weaponry, himself – and she knows that the curtness in his voice is not born out of annoyance, but esteem; he honors others by being sincere with them. She can trust him not to abuse any weakness he discovers in her, but inform her of his discovery, and help her become a stronger kunoichi.

Neji does not over-express himself, she knows, but for the lucky few that are privy to his even-toned verbalizations, it is his respectful honesty that speaks of him more than his words, and Tenten admires that.

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Out of all the ninja in Konoha, Tenten is the most truthful.

Never mind that everyone assumes that she must forcefully moderate her temper because of who she works with (all three of which, she has admitted, try her patience). Those are just rumors spread by people who think they know her, and well-meaning friends that assume that working with impossible prodigies yields the same amount of stress across the board (Sakura and Ino, understandably).

How foolish of them. After all, if she really had secrets to conceal, she would not admit to lacking a last name; she would make one up, instead. Tenten is the type of person who is not shy about her opinion, nor is she obnoxious about it, and everything seems to reveal itself to her as a result of her honesty. She does not leave herself open for the world to trounce upon, but lets it be known to the world that she fears nothing, not even her weaknesses – should she have any. Tenten believes that a kunoichi who can be truthful yields unimaginable power at her disposal, simply because of the fact that if she cannot lie to herself, then nothing else can (regardless of attempt). It is for this reason that Tenten allows herself to be frank, and lets her thoughts to be known through speech, expressions, and gestures.

Which is why Neji likes her so much. Tenten's ability to communicate her thoughts through various forms of expression is an admirable trait, one he sometimes envies. It is by her genuineness that Neji can see the world in a way his Byakugan cannot – a quality he has managed to find refuge in. Her openness is refreshing, in contrast to his own cryptic family. If he suggests an idea during a mission, he can trust her to voice her opinion, even if it is negative. But since it is _him_, she will give him the benefit of the doubt. She reacts visibly to situations, but not in an obtrusive way. She does not cry like Sakura, who always needs a few moments before she can go on, or freak out like Hinata, who faints afterwards. These kinds of reactions can get a person killed on the battlefield, or at the very least, hurt in the soul. Not Tenten. There is no room for uncertainty or misinterpretation in Tenten's world. He knows he can rely on her to be up front about anything – fighting styles, people, weaponry, herself – and understands that her expressiveness is a sign of her sincerity; Tenten is sincere only with those she respects.

Neji counts himself amongst the lucky few Tenten deems worthy of her veracity. She is not so naïve as to believe that others are just as honest as she is, he knows, but her authenticity speaks more of her strength than others can deny, and Neji has always liked strong people.

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Out of all the ninja in Konoha, Lee is the most observant.

Never mind that people compare him to his oblivious sensei and deem him an exact replica. Those are just rumors told by shinobi not as observant as he. After all, if he really was ignorant of his surroundings, he would not know for a fact that Tenten and Neji love each other in a way that only a lucky few are able to do.

Which is why Lee likes them so much. He knows that love is a dangerous luxury when one is a ninja, and he knows that they know this, too. To love is to expose oneself, and in the world of shinobi and kunoichi, leaving yourself exposed can get you killed. It is because of this fact that they are guilty of the one falsity they each allow themselves to believe: that they are just friends. But Lee knows better. He knows that they love each other so much, they will do _anything_ to keep each other safe, and if that means telling themselves a little white lie in order to keep the other alive, they will do so with pleasure.

Lee smiles, and continues to watch them, wondering if they will ever tell each other the truth.

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FIN

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**A/N**: Many thanks to the muse-lenders, NakoudoByakugan (author of "Mask") and by Quentin B. Caulfield (author of "Perceived Masquerade"). I didn't follow your theory exactly, but I hope you at least enjoyed the fic. Please review, mina-sama - let me know if the edit was a good thing.


	3. Coercion

**A/N: **Set right before Shippuuden, just before Naruto gets back. Enjoy!

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**Coercion**

Lee had never been afraid of the dark. But, then again, Lee had never been captured before.

He cursed himself and his own carelessness. Had he been more suspicious – less trusting – this would not have happened. _But_, he thought sadly, _that's what defines a successful abduction. Gai-sensei will be so disappointed in my un-youthful lack of alertness._ He sighed.

For all of Gai's training, Lee found it incredibly intimidating to be surrounded by an inky blackness that spoke of his captors' wickedness. Although he could not see, he knew two things: one, that he was lying, bound, on a cold stone floor, and two, that he was unaware how long he had been lying there.

The last thing he remembered clearly was going to lunch with Neji and Tenten. Gai had suggested that his team have some bonding time, resulting in an exciting sparring match. Having worked up an appetite, they ate at one of Konoha's newest restaurants, serving up some delicious anago-don. On the way home, his memory began to haze. After that, only brief recollections of black-clad shinobi remained, along with sharp clangs against his temple, chakra coming towards his face, being dragged, and finally waking up bruised and disoriented in a windowless room.

_Drugged at the restaurant, huh? Well, not much to go on_, he thought, _but if I can just get these bindings off, I should be able to break out of here. _Lee began to work at the knots that held him.

A sudden rent in the darkness. A door opened, and a blinding light sent pain shooting back into Lee's eyes. Through the thin slits his eyelids had been reduced to, he was able to distinguish the shapes of two people standing in the doorway.

They had arrived.

The first moved quickly and efficiently, while the second took the time to close the door behind them. Lee listened as a bolt shot home and a match was lit, setting fire to the wick of a candle he had not known was there.

He strained against his bindings, desperately attempting to loosen them before they could get closer. No such luck. He felt one of them grab his vest and slam him up against the wall.

"Careful," he heard the tall one, a male, speak. "He is the Green Beast's protege. While he may be younger, he is not to be underestimated."

The ninja holding him snorted. "I have nothing to fear from _him,_" a female voice countered.

Lee struggled violently, scorning the remark. How _dare_ they not fear him!

"Enough!" the kunoichi scolded, slamming him against the wall again. "We are not here to make small talk. Tell us what you know we want to hear."

Lee laughed. There was no way he would let loose one of Gai's best-kept secrets. Why they would even think he would was beyond him. He pursed his lips together, resolute.

The kunoichi dropped him unceremoniously onto the stone floor. Taking a wakizashi from her belt, she held it up to Lee's neck. "What was that?" she hissed.

Lee smirked. _I'm not telling_, he thought.

The other ninja sauntered over, kneeling down in front of him. Wordlessly, he began to touch Lee in various places on his body. Nothing inappropriate, but still bewildering. He suddenly stopped, and Lee wondered what would happen next. He concluded that the man must have been trained in acupressure, because after a few moments, his body began to ache in places he did not know could hurt so badly. Not a dull ache, but a sharp stinging that sent Lee into convulsions.

The other man spoke. "I will relieve you of your pain if you tell us what we want to know."

Lee remained silent.

The kunoichi was getting impatient. "He might have been trained for torture already. We'll have to try something else." She went over to the table the candle was sitting on, and pulled a file from a drawer. Removing a picture from the inside, she showed it to Lee.

"We know about your...affinity...for the pink-haired kunoichi. Tell us what we want to know, or we will go after her," the female ninja threatened.

For the first time, Lee spoke. "Please do," he insisted. "I'll make sure your bodies are properly disposed of after she's through with you."

A sharp slap ripped through the darkness. The kunoichi, reaching the end of her patience, had back-handed him. "WHERE IS THE GREY JAR???" she screamed.

A defiant Lee glared up at her, tight-lipped.

The shinobi, eerily tranquil, walked over to the same drawer the female had taken Sakura's file out of, and pulled out what seemed to be an article of green clothing. A pair of...men's briefs?

Lee gulped. Was the man going to attempt to seduce him? He shivered at the thought. _No, that couldn't be it_, he thought. _They know about my love for Sakura_.

The shinobi walked back over to Lee, and held the underwear in front of his face. "We will send this to the Copy Ninja, with the Green Beast's return address on it, if you don't talk," he said simply.

Lee's eyes widened in terror. "No," he said, finally. "You shouldn't...you couldn't...you wouldn't betray Gai-sensei's youthfulness. You can't!" he screamed. "Gai-sensei cannot lose a match to his rival in such an undignified way!! I won't let you!!!"

The glare in the eyes of both of Lee's captors was unspeakably evil. The shinobi sneered, and took off his mask. Knowing they had him right where they wanted him, the kunoichi followed suit. She spoke in threatening tones. "Then tell us what we want to know, Lee," she hissed.

Lee hung his head, streams of tears running down his face as he betrayed his master.

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Tenten and Neji sat on a bench and watched as Lee completed his three-hundred and twenty-eighth lap around Konoha – on his hands. Behind him, Gai was urging him on. "The essence of your youth will prevail, Lee. I shall rid you of your inability to keep a secret yet! Only six-hundred seventy-two more laps to go!" he cried.

"Hai," Lee grunted, "Gai-sensei!"

Neji looked back at Tenten, who had a contented little smile on her face. "Do you think we took an appropriate course of action?" he asked her.

Tenten thought about it. "Well, first of all, Lee learned a valuable lesson about enemy abduction. Now, he'll know to keep an eye on his food. Secondly, Gai would have never told us where he kept his stash hidden – and I wanted that jar. And lastly, we're saving some for Lee. Personally, I think this worked out in everyone's interest," she concluded.

Neji shrugged, and took another cookie out of the grey jar sitting between them.

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FIN

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**Author's Note**: Cracktastic, I know! What'd ya think?


	4. Mistress

**A/N:** Just a Pre-Shippuuden (post-Part One) quickie. For future reference, "Michi" is a female Japanese name meaning "righteous." A thousand thanks to my chou-fantastic (and super-speedy) beta, Lotos-Eater. I hope I made you proud, senpai – Enjoy!

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**Mistress**

The word 'mistress' had always bothered Neji.

Being from a strict and therefore conservative clan, whenever he had heard that word as a child, it had always been followed by disdainful looks and scornful comments. A mistress was someone without scruples, without morals. A mistress was a person used to satisfy a whim, the purveyor of chaos, and a source of shame for all parties involved.

Indeed, when Neji's aunt, Michi (although that had yet to be determined), was caught sleeping with another woman's husband, the woman had been branded his _mistress_, and promptly removed to the Hyuuga winter quarters. Neji's family kept another compound in the North, supposedly to increase the security of Ho no Kuni's border. In truth, the Northern compound was simply the location where the family sent unofficially disowned members that, by right of bloodline limit, needed to remain in Fire Country.

So when Konoha dubbed Tenten its "Weapons Mistress," it was much to Neji's chagrin. He could not, in good conscience, agree to that title, however much Tenten herself enjoyed it. Because, by Hyuuga definition, a mistress was feeble, susceptible to the call of the flesh, weak-willed, and most of all – powerless.

And that was NOT how Neji thought of Tenten.

How could he? How could anyone even think of stigmatizing her with such a horrible, unsuitable nickname? Did they not know who she was? Had they not seen her the way he had? Most decidedly not.

Anyone who had seen her the way he had would have noticed the way Tenten controlled a fight, as if its tempo was set strictly to her preference, and heaven help the person who tried to break its rhythm. They would have seen they way her steel did exactly as she wished, following her momentum like a wave follows the shoreline, finding her mark – every time. They would understand the strength used to summon countless weapons from the endless scroll she diligently carried. Or how her kodachi obeyed her, its wake forming an arc around her body in midair, as she whirled to bring it crashing down between the ears of the nearest fool who thought himself worthy of defying her. They would have acknowledged the fact that she summoned _dragons_ who did her bidding and dictated who should live and who should die.

They would have also noticed the way Neji's eyes rolled back into his head when she ran her fingers through his hair, sending chills up his spine and down his legs. They would have seen the way his eyes – and hands – obediently followed the curve of her spine and around her waist, down to her exquisite hips, ending in the dip between her legs, if and only if she wanted them to. Or the way his body answered hers when she pressed against him, awaiting her command. They would have noted how he stayed out of her way during one of her rages, coming into view only when he wanted a quick glimpse of his Valkyrie – and only when she paused long enough to let him look at her. They would have observed the arch in his back when she ran her tongue across his chest and down his quivering stomach, eliciting delicious moans of agony from someone who would have never agonized otherwise.

No, those who had named her did not know Tenten the way Neji did, and so did not understand how inappropriate – how inferior – the nickname "Weapons Mistress" really was.

_Mistress?_ Neji thought. _No way._ She was his fucking **master.**

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FIN

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**Author's Note:** I'm exercising my "sexy" writing skills. How are they developing?


	5. The Future Undone

**A/N:** Here it is! My first try at angst – hope you like! Set Post-Shippuuden.

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**The Future Undone**

She had accidentally brushed his hand while walking past. That was the moment his world came apart.

Gone was the stoic countenance with which he met the world. Gone was his sanity, which kept him composed despite the demands made on a shinobi. Gone was his arrogance which, up until then, would have remained steadfast, even in the face of Death.

Also gone were his inhibitions. He could no longer hold back. He had to say _something_.

"Tenten..." he began, his white eyes cloudy, as always.

But she simply smiled apologetically, and continued to walk past him, exiting their apartment into the early morning air. She turned and stood outside his door, beckoning him to follow. With daybreak fast approaching, he mentally chastised himself for running late with so much to do. Godaime Hokage still needed to disclose the upcoming mission, and Neji had yet to make dinner reservations at Tenten's favorite restaurant. He knew she would appreciate that.

He sighed, and walked out after her, remembering to lock the door behind him. Gone had been his reason, his serenity, his self-possession.

But only for a moment.

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_"You two will be escorting Ho no Kuni's daimyo across the border and into Kaze no Kuni," the Hokage stated. "Infiltration reports indicate that there's an assassin posing as a councilor in the caravan the daimyo travels in. Your job is to get rid of him - _quietly_."_

_Tenten's eyebrows furrowed. "Why does it need to be done secretly, Hokage-sama?" she inquired. "Wouldn't it be better to bring the assassin out into the open, so as to make an example of him?"_

_The Hokage sighed. "Ordinarily, I'd agree with you. But the assassin is _from_ the Land of Wind, hired by a rebel group hidden in the desert. It seems the renegades don't like the idea of alliances between countries, and want to stir up trouble . The Kazekage himself informed us of them, and is anticipating your arrival. But even though Gaara-kun has signed off on this mission, it'll do international relations no good to show up as guests of a country whose citizen we just killed._

"_Therefore, in order to keep the insurgents at bay and the locals _themselves_ from rebelling, I'm sending you in one at a time; Tenten goes in first, as a handmaid to the councilor, and Neji, you follow after he has been dispatched, in order to replace him," Tsunade concluded._

"_Hai," Neji answered, a slight tightening in his jaw the only evidence of his discomfort._

"_You are to leave at once. Neji, make sure you take the appropriate measures to cover up your...distinguishing features," Tsunade politely instructed him._

_Both Neji and Tenten bowed in acceptance of the mission and in farewell and left the Godaime Hokage's office, heading outside into the sunrise. Neji watched as Ten__ten prepared to meet the daimyo's caravan, which would pass just outside Konoha's limits in a few minutes._

_Neji scowled inwardly. Even though he knew Tenten to be a capable Jounin (she had __proved__ herself to be his equal long before they started dating), he never liked it when the Hokage sent his wife on a mission without him._

_Tenten laughed beside him, anticipating his irritation. "Don't worry," she said. "I'll only be ahead by a couple of hours. When you show up, I'll already have gotten rid of the assassin and we can spend a nice week visiting with Shikamaru and Temari when we arrive. They're in Suna for the autumn, and I've heard their twins have gotten to be little cherubs."_

"_Hn," Neji answered moodily, but his irritation was slipping away. Tenten had a gift for soothing him when nothing else could. Regardless, he would never be completely comfortable being in a place where his wife was not._

_While others thought Neji to be level-headed at all hours of the day, Tenten knew that her beloved was prone to temper tantrums (which manifested themselves silently), particularly when things did not go as planned, such as this mission. Neji had not anticipated being separated from her, and she noticed his uneasiness. She knew him to be especially hot-tempered whenever she changed their plans. It was his biggest pet peeve._

_Tenten smiled, remembering how grumpy he had been that time she had called off a date they had planned. He had then accused her of lying about wanting to go out with him – an accusation she had laughed off __as she explained that she would rather stay in to nurse his broken leg, recently obtained during an unexpectedly violent mission. __ She had smiled good-naturedly, knowing that he just wanted to please her by taking her out to her favorite restaurant, and he had grumbled good-naturedly in return. He knew that she always had a good reason for doing what she did, even if it meant changing their plans (and it did not hurt that her attentions were always welcome). Besides, she knew he could never stay angry at her for very long._

_Tenten understood that Neji's tantrums were born out of concern for her and not malicious intent, so she viewed his current grouchiness with a certain degree of affection. She continued to converse, easing his anxieties while gently caressing his cheek with her cool fingers._

_He turned, finally assuaged, casting gentle eyes onto her lovely face. "Don't worry," she said, once more. "I'll take care of you."_

_Neji opened his mouth to protest – it was the HE who did the protecting! – but Tenten's laughing mouth met his in a good-bye kiss, and she left before he could tell her he loved her._

Neji remembered that morning the way an actor remembers his lines, and played the scene over and over in his mind as he left Konohagakure that afternoon to complete his mission.

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What had started out as annoyance soon became fury when Neji realized why Tsunade-sama had requested his particular level of experience for this assignment.

Two hours after the mission began, Neji caught up with the group he had been tracking and began to systematically kill off all the ninja that approached him. As the comprehension of the mission's objective began to sink in, Neji's aggravation began to grow. Just like last time, Intel had gotten the data wrong: they had not anticipated the assassin to be shinobi (let alone Jounin), nor there to be more than one. There were five in total, and Neji had only prepared for three, at most. He would have to be careful.

"_I promise I'll take care of you," she said to him, looking out at the dawn. "I'll be done when you show up."_

Neji began to kill faster, blood splattering onto his clothes as a result of his increasing wrath. His methodical slaughtering began to get sloppy, but he was too upset with Tenten at the moment to care. Why had she kept silent about the unforeseen number of assassins? What was she thinking, altering the mission design and excluding him? How dare she_ lie _to him about completing the mission?? She was the reason he was in this mess! Well, he would show her. He would get back at her for changing their plan – for lying – to him like that.

A ninja managed to slash his forearm just before Neji performed the Hakke Kuushou, disemboweling him on the spot. He looked down at the blood trickling from his arm, and suddenly realized how he could repay Tenten for her nefarious untruth.

He would let himself get killed.

The last ninja charged forward, forming hand seals, and Neji dropped his guard. Just as the ninja reached out to skewer him, Neji saw Tenten watching him from the trees, cold steel in her hands and an unholy look on her face.

He had never seen her so angry.

His calm eyes met her fiery ones, and he realized just how stupid he was being. He could not let himself get killed. She would never forgive him, for one. Two, he was sure she had a good reason for not sending word about the mission – probably to keep him from getting hurt in the fray. Most importantly, he could not bring himself to disrespect her in such a base manner, especially after all the trouble she had gone to that day.

Neji sighed resignedly and extended his palm, executing the Jyuuken just as the ninja rushed forward to greet Death.

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_Neji stormed into the Kazekage's office and vehemently flung a scroll at him. Without so much as flinching, Gaara caught it, observing Neji's ire as well as controlling his own. Jinchuuri__ki or not, h__e would not allow anybody to burst in on him unannounced._

"_In this country," Gaara began, "we knock before we enter a room. Especially mine."_

_Neji ignored this remark. "We succeeded, but there was more than one assassin," he fumed. "And all were high-ranking shinobi."_

_Gaara contemplated the usually stoic Hyuuga and decided to open the scroll instead of corporally punishing him. Revealing Neji's scrawled mission report, it informed him of the mission's outcome._

"_I'm sorry," Gaara apologized. "If there was anything I could've done –"_

"_You could've told Intel to do their fucking job!" Neji shouted, infuriated, and turned to go. Gaara watched as a huge aura of chakra, fueled by rage, preceded Neji as he went through the office doors, splintering them._

_The Kazekage decided that he would replace the doors himself._

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Neji sat, contemplating his recently completed mission over a cup of green tea at Hikari, Tenten's favorite restaurant. Although Neji did not usually subscribe to chain establishments (Hikari could be found both in Konoha as well as Suna), he appreciated the quiet atmosphere that Tenten liked so much about this particular restaurant. Then again, it did not surprise him that she had introduced him to a place he liked. No one had ever successfully understood Neji's tastes and temperaments quite like Tenten.

Despite the peace, Neji was brooding. He did not like to be cross with his wife, but he felt this was a good reason to be. Across the table, Tenten gazed at him with gold-flecked eyes. She was so beautiful in the twilight, with the flowers from the cherry-blossom tree nearby falling gently towards those chocolate-colored buns he found so irrationally sexy.

He glowered and sunk lower into his seat, his view of her obscured by the lilies in the silver vase on the table. She had a maddening ability to pacify him, and he did not feel like being in a good mood right now. He felt he had the right to be angry, no matter how justified her previous actions had been.

_It was never supposed to be like this_, Neji thought. They were supposed to get married, have children whose comeliness rivaled that of his wife's, and in later years, help Hinata revoke his clan's stupid traditions and live happily ever after, together.

Neji frowned, his white eyes stormy and threatening rain. That was their fate – their _destiny_. And here she had gone and undone their future.

He berated himself for having such ridiculous thoughts. They were irrational, he knew, but he could not help them. He was so angry at her for what she did – how she had lied to him – yet he knew that it had never been her fault to begin with.

His world was once again beginning to crumble. Losing his inhibitions once more, he opened his mouth.

"Tenten," he began again. She looked back at him, her eyes regarding him curiously.

"Neji?"

Neji looked over his left shoulder, towards the voice addressing him. Shikamaru stood there, balancing a twin on his right hip. To his left stood Temari, balancing another twin on her left hip.

Tenten had been right: both twins were getting big, and they were indeed adorable. Tobikuma had the eyes of his mother and the laziness of his father, much to Temari's annoyance. Chikako, Tobikuma's fraternal twin, had her father's brains and her mother's temper, much to Shikamaru's desperation. Neji mentally laughed at a joke Tenten had once made, insisting that they would successfully drive their parents crazy before their tenth birthday. Judging by the rings under Shikamaru's eyes (a man who loved sleep and resented its loss), Neji guessed that prophecy would come true any day now.

"Good evening, Shikamaru, Temari, little ones," Neji greeted, composed once more. Both Tobikuma and Chikako gurgled.

"How are you?" Temari asked.

"Well. Thank you," Neji replied.

"That's really great, Neji," Shikamaru said, and meant it.

"Yes," Temari agreed, "we haven't seen you in a year and you're looking quite well."

"Again, thank you. Please have a seat," Neji invited courteously. Tenten smiled at him over the flowers. Their talk would have to wait for another time.

Right now was a time to relish the simple joys of dinner reservations and friends.

--------

Neji took his time in the bathroom that night, knowing that Tenten was waiting for him in the adjoining bedroom. Not that he disliked spending time with his wife, but he knew that she would want him to meditate before bed. Neji had been suffering from insomnia for some time now and his anxiety attacks had been getting more frequent lately, all of which he knew Tenten attributed to the fact that he was wound too tight.

And leave it to Tenten's uncanny ability to calm him by forcing him to meditate.

He had not meditated for over a year since returning from that fateful mission in Suna, in which the single assassin targeting the daimyo turned out to be more than one S-rank shinobi. _Just like today's mission, _Neji thought. He had lost the sense of peace within him to draw from, and any attempts to find it ultimately resulted in disrupted concentration and frustrated tantrums. In the end, he gave up on the exercise, hoping instead that when his breaking point came, he would not be in the middle of a battle.

And all because Tenten had lied to him.

He was losing his composure again, and before he regained it, he decided to hash it out with her, right then and there. He needed to ask her why she had lied to him, how she could have been so selfish, and end this madness once and for all. He knew she was there, sitting in her favorite armchair, right next to the bench by the window, their once-favorite place to meditate. He could not afford to lose his nerve this time. Taking a deep breath, he walked out into the bedroom.

"Tenten," he began, once more.

But she had beaten him to the punch before he walked in, already seated on the bench by the window, in full lotus position with her eyes closed, before he could say anything else. Gracefully lifting her hand and patting the seat next to her, she invited him over.

_Damn her,_ Neji thought, tranquil once more. Like an obedient child, Neji sat down next to her and began to meditate. The first few minutes were difficult, as he did not remember how to breathe properly, and desperation began to sink in. But the breeze from outside was blowing in warm and the leaves next to their bedroom window swayed in a manner that reminded him of her soft breath, in and out, and little by little Neji began to relax. He was just about to doze off when she accidentally brushed his hand with hers.

And in that moment, after a year of having had his soul in shards, Neji's life finally began to come together.

A sense of serenity that had long been absent in Neji's heart began to settle there. He realized that there was no one to blame for the occurrences – or outcomes – of that fateful battle a year ago. Nobody had expected more than one assassin, and Tenten, like the great kunoichi he knew her to be, put herself to the hazard when she discovered the rebels in the caravan, regardless of her own welfare.

In a final act of love, his valiant lady decided to spare his life and keep him ignorant of the impeding doom that she knew would befall him should she call for aid. She killed them all herself, right down to the last bastard who thought his jutsu was unbeatable and got past her defenses. Neji had just reached the caravan when that occurred, and remembered with painstaking clarity her last words:

"Hyuuga Neji is my husband," she had said, proudly. "And that is why I am your misfortune."

Only Tenten, who had trained diligently with Neji since their Genin days, would know how to defeat a virtually impenetrable jutsu. With blood pouring from her mouth she had smiled, and faced her opponent's shocked face, sending her katana further into his heart as she dragged him to the afterlife with her.

Neji opened his eyes, intent on turning to his beloved wife and telling her about his revelation. But she had long since finished meditating, and was now under the covers on her side of the bed, long brown hair flowing freely past her shoulders. He smiled and got up, turning off all but the small light on her side of the bed and crawled under the sheets as she rolled onto her other side to meet him.

Neji propped his arm on his pillow, looking down lovingly at Tenten. She had died, but he had not stopped loving her, nor she him. Their love had not corroded ignominiously, nor become faded by the passing of time. She was his beloved then and would be so always. Death could not sever their bond, no matter how hard It tried. He might one day get married again, but he could have no other _wife_, and Neji would remain Tenten's husband – and hers alone. Neji's heart warmed at the simplicity of it all. She had gone, but their love remained.

Tenten looked up at him with tears in her eyes, happy that Neji had finally begun to heal. With heartbreaking tenderness, she watched as Neji closed his eyes, leaned down...

...and kissed the air where her lips had once been.

Neji sighed, and stared down at Tenten's empty pillow. Ever since the first time she had done it, he could not get used to the way she always left so abruptly. Neji hugged her pillow, which still smelled faintly of her shampoo, and closed his eyes. He slowly drifted off to sleep, comforted by his revelation that Tenten had not changed their plan, nor had she lied to him. By keeping her promise, she had kept him from killing himself, brought him back to the edge of reason and shown her love for him the only way she knew how from the other side of life.

She had taken care of him.

--------

FIN

--------

**Author's Note:** My heartfelt thanks to my fanta-bulous beta, Lotos-Eater, and my extra set of eyes, wonpunch. Your help was MOST appreciated, and I hope that the end result didn't disappoint. I spent a lot of time on this one (and so did my wonderful editors), so please, minna-sama, review. Let me know if it was confusing, poorly written, too cheezy, etc. I will say this, though: if Neji seems just a little out of character, there's a good reason for it. Lastly, thanks to Lotos-Eater and scribbles-in-the-margins for their lovely fics and the baby names used in them ;-) Thank you soo much for reading!

Oh yea, one more thing...considering the fact that this is a rather long one-shot, I may (in the future) move it out onto my main page, just to let you know. Have a nice day!


	6. Battle Scars

**A/N: **I had this idea when I was listening to some sexy music and working out...go figure. Takes place during Shippuuden. Watch out for just a little touch of vamirism. Thanks much to my wonderful beta, Lotos-Eater, without whom I would post egregious grammar for all to read. And for the lovely title.

For **Goldberry**. I can't send you flowers through my computer, so I figure this is the next best thing ;-)

--

**Battle Scars**

Neji sighed, lowering himself slowly into the onsen, grateful for the hot water's soothing effect on his sore muscles – and his mind. Three weeks on a reconnaissance mission in Rock Country with Lee, Naruto and Shikamaru had taken its toll, and he was convinced that any other jounin would sooner have gone missing rather than suffer his platoon's nerve-grating company. Shikamaru was cool (sometimes), but Naruto had developed the nasty habit of baiting Lee into a verbal and/or physical sparring match, since the latter was constantly criticizing the former's "lack of youthful speed."

Ironically enough, neither would have exhibited such exasperating behavior if they did not respect each other as much as they did. But said challenges resulted in more than one close call, and after the _third_ time they were almost caught by the daimyo they were spying on, Neji swore he would never again spend an extended amount of time in the presence of those two without the appropriate collection of weaponry to "persuade" them to be quiet. He leaned back in the onsen, soaking in the peace.

"Naruto-kun, your speed would be vastly improved if your muscles weren't so tense. How am I to take you seriously if you cannot keep up?" said an excited Rock Lee.

Neji cracked one previously closed eyelid...

"Cheap excuse to avoid an ass-whooping, Gejimayu!" contradicted a rather put-out Naruto.

...closed it again and sighed inwardly. So much for peace.

"Ah, Neji-kun! Naruto-kun and I were having a debate on whether or not some time in the onsen would improve his speed. What do you think?" asked Lee, walking into the bathing area, with Naruto close behind.

_I think I'm going to have to talk to the manager about being allowed to take a kunai pouch into the bathing area, instead of keeping it in my locker_, thought Neji.

"Dammit, quit stalling, Lee. Let's skip the onsen and go eat at Ichiraku right now, before the lunch hour crowd gets there," insisted Naruto.

_First idea of his I've agreed with in almost a month_, Neji thought wryly.

"My rival's opinion is highly important in this matter, Naruto-kun. After all, he specializes in close combat as well, and should know about such things," Lee explained.

"My ass. If he was so great, how did he get those scars on his chest, then?" Naruto countered.

Lee paused, for once. "Actually," he said, "I'm not sure. How did you get those scars, Neji?"

Neji opened his eyes once more to look down at the aforementioned scars. Three thin, pale raised lines of skin, beginning at the base of his sternum, crossing his left pectoral and ending just right of his armpit looked back up at him...

--

_"Ready?" Tenten asked, wakizashi poised in mid-air._

_Neji smirked, and took a Jyuuken stance. "Of course," he answered._

"_Best two out of three," Tenten suggested. She interpreted his non-committal grunt for a yes._

_Tenten advanced, keeping the weight of her wakizashi in her left hand. If he should drop his left shoulder just enough to expose his hip, she could manage a blow to his right side powerful enough to destroy his liver in one stroke. Hypothetically, of course. She had no intention of killing him. _Not today, anyway_, she thought with a smile. She feinted to the left, aiming a shuriken at his right ear._

_Neji was too fast. He dropped his left shoulder, but rolled his body inward, a potentially lethal move if one did not execute it correctly. He pivoted in place, and having gotten inside her guard, gained momentum and almost sent his right palm up her nose. Not that he would, but the fact that he could was what would determine the winner of their sparring session._

_Tenten smiled as she cocked her head to the side, causing Neji's hand to miss her nose entirely and whizz harmlessly past her cheek. She learned long ago that millimeters counted when you were in hand-to-hand combat with Neji, and she took advantage of that knowledge now. She wrapped her left arm around his waist and prepared to slash his back when she realized that, in her avoidance of his palm she had neglected to protect her torso, and so found Neji's fingers just under her left breast._

_Damn. He won._

"_You're not trying hard enough," he admonished stoutly._

_Tenten sighed, and stepped back. She knew that Neji had aimed for a tenketsu whose chakra route wrapped around her lung, and had he injected his chakra there, her lung would have exploded, and she would have choked to death. The pathway itself was almost impossible to locate (even with the Byakugan), but impossibility was Neji's specialty. Her hit would have maimed him, while his would have killed her. She took her position, exchanging her wakizashi for a sickle and a jouhyou._

"_Again," she said._

_He took a different stance this time, and she waited for his advance. He came at her with a kunai in his right hand, and she deflected his arm past her face, causing him to stab at nothing behind her right ear. She swung her arm across and almost caught his neck in the curve of the sickle, but he ducked and avoided the swipe. He stepped back, and she wrapped the jouhyou around his torso and both arms and yanked him to her. She swung her arm around his and intended to send the point of the sickle into his blind spot when he put his leg between her thighs and ground his groin into her – hard. He stopped. She looked up at him, bewildered._

"_Tenten, you need to try harder," he said, looking a little flushed._

_She looked down at his hands. They were bound, crossed against his chest and practically useless, but he had placed them in a strategic position so that, when crushed against her body, the tip of his kunai was against her jugular. Furthermore, since she had not counted on his stepping _closer_ to her, the sickle had stopped just above (not directly upon) his blind spot. Another inch and she was as good as dead while he walked away unscathed. She gritted her teeth. Another win for Neji. _

Well, at least I'll have something to work on this Saturday, _she thought, annoyed. With Gai focusing on Lee and Neji receiving private instruction from Hiashi, Tenten had been spending her Saturdays with various senseis around Konoha, expanding her repertoire of fighting skills. Consequently, she picked up a few moves that she knew would irk Gai-sensei if he ever saw her execute one of Kakashi's jutsu's. She stepped back, ready to concede the match._

"_Until you can beat me, we won't stop," Neji commanded._

_She looked at him confusedly. "Why are you pursuing this match? You've won," she said in a slightly irritated tone._

"_And you haven't, and it's because you need to try harder," he answered with a smirk._

"_I _am_ trying harder, Neji," she replied hotly._

"_Then show me," he said. "If you can land a hit on me, I'll let you go home. Now," he took a stance, "again."_

_She snorted, and ditched her jouhyou for a yari. She would be damned before she let his ego inflate to insufferable proportions. She had already dealt with that when he was a moody little genin and she was _not_ going to put up with it again. Not to mention the fact that he was acting really weird today. Well, she would have none of that. She came at him from the left, and deflected his blows easily, using her yari like a bowstaff._

"_Stop fighting like a girl and hit me," Neji scolded. Her anger flared, and she backed him against a tree. She landed the butt of her staff just beside his left ear, deployed the three blades and almost sliced his head off, had he not purposely dropped down to stop one with his hitai-ate. But her anger was getting the better of her, and she noticed too late when he slipped his leg behind her knee and brought her to the ground, pinning her there by straddling her and bringing his face to within an inch of hers. She could smell the sweat on his skin. "Try harder," he insisted, looking at her mouth._

_She could feel Neji, grinding against her, and he was close enough for her to notice that his pupils were just the slightest bit dilated. If they were doing anything else other than sparring, she could almost swear he was...he was..._

He was getting off on this.

_She bucked him off, and unleashed a fifth of her gargantuan scroll on him. His Kaiten sent her steel flying, but the diversion was created and after he stopped spinning, she was nowhere to be found. He heard a crunch before he saw Tenten's hand clutch his ankle and felt his stomach lurch as she yanked him down into the ground. With his head above the surface, Tenten materialized, crossbow in hand._

"_Team Seven isn't the only one benefiting from Kakashi's techniques," she said smartly, and sent her arrow between his eyes._

_He smirked before the arrow caused his bunshin to pop, and she had just enough time to turn and block his assault from behind. But his blow proved too strong, and he smashed her up against a large boulder. His mouth crashed onto hers just as her head hit the rock and she had the odd sensation of pleasure and pain as she saw stars while he bit down on her lower lip and drew blood. _Twisted little Hyuuga,_ Tenten thought, aroused._

"_Harder," Neji whispered into her mouth. _

_She had almost sent her tanto up between his ribs when she noticed another kunai making its way towards her abdomen. In an unexpected move, she punched him square in the jaw and sent him toppling to the side, but not before he managed to slice the lower half of her shirt. She ripped off what was dangling and tossed it aside. Technically, she had yet to beat him, but she knew him well, and with that knowledge came an important realization: he was horny._

_Which meant she had the upper hand now._

_Neji looked at her knowingly and smirked. This fight was about to get good._

_She turned tail and ran into the forest. He followed closely, stopping when she paused behind a tree._

"_I can see through that tree, you know," he called to her._

"_I know," she called back – from behind._

_The Tenten-bunshin in front of Neji burst as all the exploding tags Tenten dropped during the chase detonated, burying Neji under hundreds of pounds of lumber._

_Tenten turned and raised her hand just as the real Neji dropped from a branch up above and pinned her against the bark of the nearest tree with his body._

"_Now you've gone and left yourself open," said Neji._

_Tenten lowered her hand, three senbon caught like claws in between her fisted fingers. Neji noticed that his chest hurt, and looked down to see three lines of blood burning across his once-white shirt. He knew that Tenten always poisoned her weapons during missions. He also knew this was not a mission._

"_Correction, Neji: now I've won," she said simply._

_He was just about to open his mouth to say something when she fisted a handful of his hair and hurled him up against a neighboring tree in front of her. She licked his blood off the senbon in her other hand as she walked up to him, pressed her knee up into the apex of his legs and leaned into him with her pelvis._

"_Harder, Neji,"_

_Neji was more than happy to oblige._

--

..."Neji-kun? Neji!"

Neji snapped out of his reverie, blinking up at Naruto and Lee, both of whom regarded him with puzzled looks.

"Yes?"

"I asked you how you got those scars. Don't you remember?" Lee queried.

_All too well, Lee. And a most pleasant memory it is_, Neji thought. He inadvertently smirked.

"No, I'm afraid I don't, Lee," he finally answered. Lee remained unconvinced.

"There, see? Not only does he have them, but he doesn't even remember how he got the fuckin' things!" Naruto exclaimed. "C'mon Gejimayu, Ichiraku's opening up for lunch as we speak!"

Lee sighed. Naruto took this as concession to the argument and rushed out to retrieve his clothes, with Lee following close behind.

Neji leaned back and continued to daydream, an imperceptible smile playing across his face.

--

FIN

--

**Author's Note:** If anyone wonders why I use onsen in my stories so much, it's because they really ARE that wonderful. Now, if you would be so kind as to a) please review me, and b) go read Berry-san's "The Fortuneteller" – in an onsen, if at all possible :-)


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